TERRIBLE

07.05.11

Refugee Boat Sinks off Sudan

Nabeel Jurani / AP Photo

A boat full of refugees headed from Sudan to Saudi Arabia sank in the Red Sea Tuesday, reportedly killing 197 people. The ship caught fire four hours after leaving port, authorities said, and then sank. It’s unclear how many people survived; initial reports said three, but the search is ongoing. According to one report, four Yemenis who owned the Cuban-flagged boat have been arrested. “One hundred and ninety seven people from neighboring countries drowned in the Red Sea, inside Sudanese territorial waters, following the burning of a boat that was illegally transporting them to Saudi Arabia," a semiofficial Sudanese news service said. It’s the latest of several fatal sinkings in recent months, as strife in Africa and the Middle East has led more to flee on board unsafe vessels.